The Tong Shu or Tong Sing as it is called in Hong Kong is a little red book of daily predictions in the Chinese culture that has been around for over 2000 years. The Chinese Almanac translates to mean the Book of Everything and consists of 47 sections that include planting crops to Feng Shui. Tung translates to mean all and Shu translates to book.
One of the earliest books in print, the Chinese Almanac has been used to tell people of eclipses and the best times for harvests. The Tong Shu or the book of everything employs astrology to predict what will occur on any given day of the year and is updated annually.
The almanac is released yearly and contains a forecast for your personal fortune according to the Chinese animal zodiac. You can check on your auspicious days to coincide with your plans. Chinese people have planned their activities according to the Tong Shu for many centuries. They have consulted the book to see what their fortune might be to consulting it for a talisman or charm.
There are sections on good housekeeping, domestic harmony, safe pregnancy, calligraphy, planting, feng shui, astronomy and how to make an amulet to ward off disease and illness. There are tables showing daily direction on happiness, health, finance and business. Just about any aspect of life can be found in the almanac.
The almanac is complex and as such requires someone learned in the intricacies of it. People study the book in classes to understand how it all works and it can sometimes take years to figure out the lessons it has to teach.
Feng Shui translates to mean wind-water and is used to orient space in buildings. The art of placement as it is referred to, Fung Shui creates harmony and balance and has become widely accepted in Western cultures as well.
The Chinese Almanac was suppressed in mainland China after the communist takeover in 1949 but is still published in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. A million copies are sold each year just in Hong Kong.
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